Exploding tennis balls discovered by children in Clinton; no injuries reported

CLINTON — Officials are asking people to be on the lookout after two explosive tennis balls were found in a yard at a Clinton residence Wednesday morning.

At 10:05 a.m., two children playing in the front yard of a home near 1360 N. 2600 West in Clinton found two tennis balls wrapped in electrical tape and took them to their parents, according to Clinton City Fire Chief Dave Olsen. One of the balls rolled off the front porch and exploded.

“It was a loud explosion more than anything,” Olsen said. “It was a small explosion, but if you were holding it, it could hurt or kill you for sure.”

The Davis County bomb squad was called to the home and disabled the devices, Olsen said. A safety sweep of the area was conducted, but not other devices were found.

Hundreds of match heads were inside the tennis balls, as was a striking device, Olsen said. The tape was wrapped around the balls in a design similar to Pokemon balls.

“We’re just lucky nobody really got hurt. Thank heavens the children didn’t get hurt,” he said.

Olsen said if any similar devices are spotted, people should not pick them up and call their local authorities immediately.

Police have no suspects at the moment, but anyone who has any information is encouraged to call Clinton Police at 801-614-0800.

Reach digital producer Jessica Kokesh at 801-625-4229 or jkokesh@standard.net. You can also follow her on Twitter at @JessicaKokesh or Facebook.com/ByJessKokesh.